Stuffed toy with attached pacifier

ABSTRACT

A stuffed toy in the shape of a small animal, such as a puppy, is attached to a silicone/polymeric pacifier of the type commonly provided for infants to suck on. The pacifier has at least one tab projecting from the side opposite to the nipple and for use in securing the toy to the pacifier.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates generally to a stuffed toy which may take the form of an animal or other geometric shape, and which has a nipple shaped pacifier attached to the toy, and more particularly attached to the head of the toy where the toy has the form of a stuffed animal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The preferred form for an infant's toy and pacifier combination constructed in accordance with the present invention calls for the stuffed toy to include a readily deformable fabric envelope having at least one projecting portion, and including a filler inside the envelope to provide the toy with a variable three dimensional shape and configuration such as a typical stuffed toy of the type which is relatively soft to the touch and hence pliable enough for handling by a small child.

[0003] A pacifier which includes a nipple end for use by the child to pacify him or her also includes an annular flange to limit entry of the nipple end of the pacifier into the child's mouth.

[0004] The pacifier is preferably fabricated from a molded polymeric material, preferably containing silicone, and defines at least one tab on the side of the annular flange opposite the nipple.

[0005] Means is provided for securing this tab on the pacifier to the projecting portion of the stuffed toy.

[0006] Although, the envelope preferably has the shape of a mammal such as a four legged creature, and includes a head portion defining the aforementioned projecting portion which serves as the attachment point for the pacifier, it may also have other geometric shapes and need only define a projecting portion to which the tab of the pacifier is attached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0007]FIG. 1 is a three (3) dimensional view illustrating a stuffed toy constructed in accordance with the present invention and having a pacifier secured to a projecting portion thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] Turning now to the drawing in greater detail, a stuffed toy A is provided with a pacifier B such that the infant can readily pick up his stuffed toy and by orienting it in a pre-earned position, can bring the pacifier into his mouth such that the nipple portion (B1) can be used as a pacifier.

[0009] The stuffed toy A preferably has rear legs (A1) and (A2) (only one shown) connected to a soft pliable body portion (A3), and may further include front legs or arms (A4) and (A5) (only one shown) which are connected to the body portion (A3) as shown. A projecting portion (A6) of the body portion defines a head for the four-legged mammal creature or stuffed toy (A). The pacifier (B) includes the above-described nipple portion (B1), an annular flange portion (B2), and a tab illustrated at (B3) in FIG. 1.

[0010] This tab (B3) is adapted to be secured by suitable means to the projecting head portion (A6) of the pacifier B as for example by stitching as indicated generally at C.

[0011] As so constructed and arranged the stuffed toy with pacifier is easily located by an infant in his crib or playpen, and once located the pacifier can be used by the infant without the necessity for a baby-sitter or other person responsible for the care of a child to pick up and return it to the infant. Since pacifiers are not normally connected to such a stuffed toy, but provided instead as a device with a ring or other protrusion small enough to allow the conventional pacifier to fall between the slats of the infant's play pen or crib for example.

[0012] Various versions of the invention described above can be contemplated by the person skilled in the art. For example, the stuffed toy need not be in the form of a four-legged mammal, but might instead be in the form of a human, or may instead be in the form of some other geometric shape as for example a star shaped stuffed toy of the like. However, the present invention does require some sort of projecting portion (A6) of the stuffed toy which can be secured to the tab (B3) on a pacifier of the type which is molded from a polymeric material, preferably containing silicone, to have not only a nipple portion (B1) but also an annular ring or flange (B2) that will prevent the infant from swallowing the pacifier. Such pacifiers are sometimes provided with tabs such as shown in (B3) in order to provide a convenient anchor point for securing the pacifier to a plastic ring of the like. 

1. An infant's toy and pacifier comprising: a stuffed toy including a readily deformable fabric envelope defining at least one projecting portion, and said stuffed toy including a filler inside said envelope to provide said toy with a variable three dimensional shape and configuration, a pacifier including a nipple end for pacifying an infant, and including an annular flange to limit entry of said pacifier into the infant's mouth, said pacifier being molded from a polymeric material and defining at least one tab on a side of said annular flange opposite said nipple, and means for securing said tab to said projecting position of said stuffed toy envelope.
 2. Claim 1 and said envelope having the shape of a mammal, and said projecting portion having a shape of the mammal's head. 